Conwy

Conwy's population grew in the 10 years leading up to 2011. Data from the census also show there were changes in marriage, religion and ethnicity.

The population reached nearly 120,000

In the decade leading up to the most recent census, the population of Conwy increased by 5.1%, from just under 110,000 to 115,000.

The addition of about 5,600 people means this area's population increased at a similar rate to the overall population of Wales (up 5.5% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Conwy was home to, on average, 0.73 people per football pitch-sized piece of land.

Population density was similar to the average across Wales

Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across Wales, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

An older Conwy

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Conwy increased by three years, from 43 to 46 years.

This coastal area had a slightly higher average age than Isle of Wight (one of the most statistically similar areas to Conwy based on ONS area classifications) (46 years of age) and the highest average age in Wales.

The rise in age was because of an increase of just under 3,300 people between the ages of 60 and 69 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by almost 3,000.

About 14% of people in Conwy are aged between 60 and 69 years

Percentage of usual residents in Wales, Denbighshire and Conwy by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Fall in proportion of Welsh speakers

The proportion of Welsh speakers in Conwy fell from 29% to 27% in the 10 years leading up to Census 2011.

There are 442 fewer people living here who spoke Welsh compared with 2001, while the number of people who did not spoke Welsh increased by 5,850.

In Denbighshire (the local authority area that shares the largest boundary with Conwy), 25% of people over the age of three could speak some Welsh, down from 26% at the 2001 census. Across Wales, the proportion fell from 21% to 19%.

Monmouthshire was one of the few areas that saw an increase in the proportion of Welsh speakers (from 9.0% in 2001 to 9.9% in 2011), while Carmarthenshire saw the largest fall (from 50% to 44%).

The proportion of people who could speak Welsh was higher than across Wales

Percentage of people aged three and over that said they could speak Welsh across local authority areas in Wales and the average across Wales, March 2011

Changing work life

The percentage of Conwy residents that were self-employed remained close to 11% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

In 2011, just under one in two (48%) people aged 16 to 74 said they were employed, compared with 45% in 2001. The percentage of Conwy residents that were unemployed increased from 3.7% to 4.1%.

The proportion of self-employed people fell at the third fastest rate of all local authority districts across Wales. As a result, this area had the country's sixth highest proportion of self-employed people and the lowest proportion of homeowners.

The rate of self-employment was higher than across Wales

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 that said they were self-employed across local authority areas in Wales and the average across Wales, March 2011

Change in unpaid care

The percentage of Conwy residents that provided between 20 and 49 hours of weekly unpaid care increased from 1.4% to 1.6% in the decade to 2011.

The percentage who reported providing at least 50 hours of unpaid care each week remained close to 3.0%.

The proportion of people providing between 20 and 49 hours of weekly unpaid care fell at the third fastest rate of all local authority districts across Wales. As a result, this area had the country's fifth lowest proportion of people providing between 20 and 49 hours of weekly unpaid care and the lowest proportion of homeowners.

The proportion of people providing between 20 and 49 hours of weekly unpaid care in Conwy remained close to 1.6%

Percentage of usual residents in Wales, Denbighshire and Conwy by care, March 2001 and March 2011

More single people in Conwy

The percentage of people who had never been married or in a civil partnership increased in Conwy, but at a slower rate than across Wales.

In Conwy, the proportion of single people increased from 25% in 2001 to 29% in 2011. During the same period, the regional proportion increased from 28% to 34%.

Across Wales, the share of people who had never been married or in a civil partnership increased from 28% to 34%.

The proportion of married people in Conwy fell from 53% to 48%, while the proportion of people who had divorced or separated from a marriage or civil partner increased from 11% to 13%.

The proportion of people who had never married or entered a civil partnership was lower than across Wales

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 and over that said they were single across local authority areas in Wales and the average across Wales, March 2011

Religion in Conwy

Census 2011 asked a voluntary question about religion. Of those who chose to disclose their religious affiliation, 26% said they had no religion. The figure increased from 26% in 2001

The number of people in Conwy that described themselves as having no religion increased from about 15,000 in 2001 to just over 30,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 14% to 26% of those who chose to disclose information about their religious affiliation.

The percentage increased by less than the average across Wales (from 19% to 32%).

The number of people in Conwy that described themselves as Christian decreased from just over 85,000 in 2001 to about 75,000 in 2011 (from 78% to 65%). The number of people who did not disclose their religious affiliation increased from just over 8,100 to just over 9,000 (from 7.4% to 7.8%).

About 580 people (0.3%) said they were Muslim, up from just over 270 in 2001 (0.5%).

The population without a religion in Conwy increased by 12 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Wales, Denbighshire and Conwy by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Ethnicity in Conwy

Census 2011 asked a voluntary question about religion. Of those who chose to disclose their religious affiliation, 98% said they were from the White ethnic groups. The figure increased from 98% in 2001

The number of people in Conwy from the White ethnic groups remained close to just over 110,000 between the last two censuses. However, as a percentage of the local population, this represented a decrease from 99% to 98%.

The percentage decreased by less than the average across Wales (from 98% to 96%).

The number of people in Conwy from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups increased from about 540 in 2001 to just under 1,300 in 2011 (from 0.5% to 1.1%). The number of residents from Mixed/multiple ethnic groups (White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean or Other Mixed) increased from about 430 to just over 890 (from 0.4% to 0.8%).

Just over 330 people (0.1%) said they were from the Other ethnic groups (Arab or any other ethnic group), up from about 99 in 2001 (0.3%).

The population from the White ethnic groups in Conwy decreased by 1.3 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Wales, Denbighshire and Conwy by ethnicity, March 2001 and March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of Conwy residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 12% to 7.0% in the decade leading up to the most recent census.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

In 2011, just under 8 in 10 (78%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 65% in 2001. While the percentage of Conwy residents that described their health as fair decreased from 23% to 16%.

The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad fell at a similar rate to nearby Denbighshire (which remained close 7.3%). Across Wales, the proportion fell from 12% to 7.6%.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Conwy decreased by 4.6 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Conwy, Denbighshire and Wales said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in private renting

In Conwy, the proportion of private renting increased from 13% in 2001 to 17% in 2011. During the same period, the regional proportion increased from 8.6% to 14%.

Across Wales, the share of privately rented homes increased from 8.6% to 14%.

The rate of social housing in Conwy remained close to 12%, while the rate of home ownership decreased from 73% to 69%.

Private renting in Conwy increased by 4.2 percentage points

Percentage of households in Conwy, Denbighshire and Wales that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

Fewer people worked long hours

The percentage of employed people in Conwy working more than 49 hours in the week before the census decreased from 13% to 10% between the last two censuses.

In 2011, just under 1 in 30 (3.2%) people aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) said they had worked less than 16 hours the previous week, compared with 2.1% in 2001.

The proportion of people working long hours fell at a similar rate to nearby Denbighshire (which remained close 10%). Across Wales, the proportion fell from 12% to 9.3%.

Long hour working in Conwy decreased by 3.2 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Conwy, Denbighshire and Wales that said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

More people cohabiting

The percentage of households in Conwy, which comprised a cohabiting couple, increased from 7.2% to 9.0% in the decade leading up to the most recent census.

In 2011, just over one in three (34%) households had only one person, compared with 33% in 2001. The percentage of households in Conwy which comprised a married couple (with or without children) decreased from 33% to 30%.

The proportion of households with an unmarried couple increased at a similar rate to nearby Denbighshire (which remained close 9.7%). Across Wales, the proportion increased from 7.5% to 9.7%.

The percentage of households with a cohabiting couple in Conwy increased by 1.8 percentage points

Percentage of households in Conwy, Denbighshire and Wales that had an unmarried couple, March 2001 and March 2011

Changes in family structure

The percentage of households in Conwy with children decreased from 26% to 24% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

The percentage that had no children remained close to 66%, while the percentage of households in Conwy with only adult children living with their parents increased from 8.3% to 9.3%.

The proportion of households with children fell at a similar rate to nearby Denbighshire (which remained close 27%). Across Wales, the proportion fell from 30% to 28%.

The proportion of households with children was lower than across Wales

Percentage of households with at least one dependent child across local authority areas in Wales and the average across Wales, March 2011

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